This is an XML content feed. It is intended to be viewed in a newsreader or syndicated to another site, subject to copyright and fair use. Founders Lexy Funk and Vahap Avsar were better at retailing than manufacturing. So they researched and tested Chinese plants and decided to outsource<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/bw_rss/smallbiz/~4/bfwR_aauZ44" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/bw_rss/smallbiz/~4/FwqqPdDH12Y" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/bw_rss/smallbiz/~4/nGG6oA4ESHs" height="1" width="1"/> First determine why your bank closed your existing credit line. Then look for one that participates in the SBA's loan guarantee program<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/bw_rss/smallbiz/~4/0vCf-0CkKp4" height="1" width="1"/> The SBA's ARC program has faced criticism for onerous paperwork, meager bank participation, and high default rates. Maine's Senator Snowe now wants to repeal it<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/bw_rss/smallbiz/~4/isM_u_YA-m8" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/bw_rss/smallbiz/~4/bNZvbkxSa0I" height="1" width="1"/> A new survey shows small companies are planning to do more for their customers than their employees this season<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/bw_rss/smallbiz/~4/WTPNx6AmBkM" height="1" width="1"/> To give a new item a boost, borrow a page from retailer Barnes & Noble's carefully orchestrated marketing campaign for its e-book reader<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/bw_rss/smallbiz/~4/h_xQCtXfXwk" height="1" width="1"/> Ernst & Young's annual awards recognize owners and managers running disruptive high-growth companies. Get pointers from some of this year's national winners<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/bw_rss/smallbiz/~4/Iwjuuz0gbkk" height="1" width="1"/> Ernst &amp; Young's annual awards program recognizes owners and managers running high-growth companies. Meet this year's national winners<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/bw_rss/smallbiz/~4/Qwt5wZODu1s" height="1" width="1"/> Start by studying how your best customers interact with your brand and its competitors, then brainstorm ways to address any shortcomings<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/bw_rss/smallbiz/~4/CRcglOSroYs" height="1" width="1"/> The owner of a garment factory works nonstop and takes a $25,000 salary, masking major cash leaks and operational flaws. It's time to reassess<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/bw_rss/smallbiz/~4/t-v9BuNyzOU" height="1" width="1"/> Retailers could set up a temporary storefront if they expect a seasonal spike in sales, says Pitney Bowes Business Insight's Deb Purcell<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/bw_rss/smallbiz/~4/HUVbmwW6r88" height="1" width="1"/> Two of the initiative's proponents make the case for why it pays to encourage entrepreneurship among young people around the globe<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/bw_rss/smallbiz/~4/e2_lP6Xd5Mc" height="1" width="1"/> In the few places that allow storefront dispensaries, entrepreneurs are adopting nonprofit business models to cope with legal gray areas<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/bw_rss/smallbiz/~4/h4KaWpmIYvw" height="1" width="1"/> Design and innovation strategy at Seattle-based winter gear manufacturer K2 focuses on harnessing ideas from employees and sponsored athletes<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/bw_rss/smallbiz/~4/e6v9FkL_mr8" height="1" width="1"/>